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Our Cottage is Small Enough to be Romantic and Large Enough for a Family.
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Reviews
10 out of 10, Loved by Guests
Top 1% of guest reviews in this area
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 10
Popular amenities
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Backus, MN
- Place, Horseshoe Lake1 min walk
- Place, Lindsey Lake4 min drive
- Place, Gull Lake38 min drive
Rooms & beds
3 bedrooms (sleeps 10)
Guest Bedroom
1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed
Living Room
1 Double Futon
Loft Sleeping Area
3 Single Beds
Master Bedroom
1 Queen Bed
Sunroom/Kitchen
1 Double Futon
2 bathrooms
Guest Bathroom
Toilet · Shower only
Master Bath
Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only
Spaces
Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Separate dining area
Garden
Dining area
About this property
Our Cottage is Small Enough to be Romantic and Large Enough for a Family.
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House Rules
Important information
You need to know
About the area
Backus
Located in Backus, this cottage is in a rural area and on the beach. While the natural beauty of Deep Portage Conservation Reserve and Mule Lake Wildlife Management Area can be enjoyed by anyone, those looking for an activity can head to Black Bear Golf Complex. Take in the nearby slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, or try out other outdoor activities such as ice skating and sledging.

Backus, MN
What's nearby
- Horseshoe Lake - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
- Lindsey Lake - 4 min drive - 2.6 km
- Rainy Lake - 4 min drive - 4.0 km
- Northern Lights Casino - 24 min drive - 36.6 km
- Gull Lake - 38 min drive - 59.3 km
Restaurants
- Corner Store, Restaurant & Gun Shop - 6 min drive
- Harriet Club - 19 min drive
- Birchwood Char House And Bar - 13 min drive
- Rendezvous Brewing - 13 min drive
- Charng Thai Restaurant - 13 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window9.8/10
Cleanliness
10/10
Check-in
10/10
Communication
10/10
Location
10/10
Listing accuracy
Reviews
Verified
16 February 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2026
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Tony S.
25 January 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Tony S.
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2026
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Joyce B.
6 October 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Joyce B.
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
John P.
21 June 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Vacation
John P.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Douglas R.
22 March 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great Stau
Douglas R.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Pamela R.
26 October 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful cabin!
Pamela R.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Scott D.
23 May 2020
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place and great owner
Scott D.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2020
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Jana B.
9 August 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Peaceful stay on Horseshoe Lake
Jana B.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Elisabeth B.
16 September 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Elisabeth B.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Tony S.
22 April 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Awesome
Tony S.
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Rita R.
24 May 2025
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Love the lake, loons, view, home's essentials plus
Rita R.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
sivanaga pavankumar c.
4 January 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful cabin
sivanaga pavankumar c.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Jeff F.
10 October 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Anniversary trip
Jeff F.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Laura Y.
7 October 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great spot
Laura Y.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kevin R.
20 May 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Family Reunion
Kevin R.
Stayed 6 nights in May 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kevin R.
21 September 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lake Charm #5
Kevin R.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Ned W.
26 January 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great cabin
Ned W.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Shawn G.
27 June 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Another Great Stay!
Shawn G.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Ron S.
21 June 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A nice experience
Ron S.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Archival
10/10 Excellent
Joel F.
1 October 2017
Wonderful getaway
Joel F.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2017
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Kris and Matt K.
6 April 2018
Peaceful retreat!
Kris and Matt K.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Elise B.
13 May 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Just lovely
Elise B.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Pamela R.
20 October 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Excellent getaway!
Pamela R.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2024
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Sammy L.
25 May 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Peaceful
Sammy L.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Douglas G.
28 November 2023
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The perfect quiet holiday getaway
Douglas G.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
About the host
Hosted by John Swailes
My family and I have been sharing our home with new acquaintances like you for 30 years. For many of them, and to my own delight, this has now become their surrogate family vacation home too. To the best of my recollection, that was well before there was a VRBO, a HomeAway, or an Airbnb! We would be delighted to share it with you too.
I am a Nuclear Engineer, a retired US Naval (submarine) officer, a retired Electric Utility executive, and a retired US DOE executive. I am working currently as a contractor and consultant in the commercial nuclear electric utility industry. Under contract in Surry, VA presently. Reside and work in VA part time and in MN part time. MD officially is my home. My wife Cheri is a contracting and procurement professional working as a US DOD civilian employee for the US Navy at Patuxent River, MD and very near to our MD residence in Solomons, MD.
We like to read, sail, swim, waterski, snow ski, hike, mountaineer, bicycle, canoe, XC ski, dabble in digital communications, and am a licensed amateur radio operator (HAM)
We own this cottage in MN on Horseshoe Lake, a townhouse in MD near Baltimore, and a condominium in Solomons, MD southeast of Washington, DC on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
I am a Nuclear Engineer, a retired US Naval (submarine) officer, a retired Electric Utility executive, and a retired US DOE executive. I am working currently as a contractor and consultant in the commercial nuclear electric utility industry. Under contract in Surry, VA presently. Reside and work in VA part time and in MN part time. MD officially is my home. My wife Cheri is a contracting and procurement professional working as a US DOD civilian employee for the US Navy at Patuxent River, MD and very near to our MD residence in Solomons, MD.
We like to read, sail, swim, waterski, snow ski, hike, mountaineer, bicycle, canoe, XC ski, dabble in digital communications, and am a licensed amateur radio operator (HAM)
We own this cottage in MN on Horseshoe Lake, a townhouse in MD near Baltimore, and a condominium in Solomons, MD southeast of Washington, DC on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
Why they chose this property
I have lived on this lake for portions of every year for 73 years. Immediate family on this lake for 98 years. We love it summer or winter! My family owns the house next door to the north and the lot between the two houses.
My mother's father (Papa - Dr. Don Newland) bought the property next door to the north after he returned from World War I and then built one of the earliest homes on this lake in 1926. Papa's original rustic log cabin was replaced by the current next door small ranch style home in 1946, right after World War II. My parents honeymooned there in 1947. I visited this lake for the first time in the summer of 1950 two weeks after my birth. I have been here every year since.
I bought this property in 1992. It was the third time that the property had been sold since a small frame home had been built upon it in 1928 by a German bachelor (Herbert Landwehr) master carpenter. Herb retired to this property in the late 1940's. I knew this this rough-hewn gentleman well. I hunted and fished with Herb, my grandfather, and my parents on and around the lake. Herb owned this property and lived here until his death in1964. He left the property to his cousin. The cousin sold four years later. Two additional owners enjoyed the lake and original house until 1992. when, I bought the property. The original was substantially improved and remodeled several times. That sequence of efforts evolved over 20 years into the complete replacement that is this current home in fall 2012 - spring 2013.
My maternal grandfather passed away in 1962. My maternal grandmother passed in 1988. My mother passed in 1991. My father passed in 2011.
The well-kept property to the north remains today in the hands of my two brothers. Between the three of us, we have 9 children all of whom routinely visit and stay at our homes on Horseshoe Lake. My brothers and I have planned for and hope to pass these wonderful living spots along to our nine children.
My mother's father (Papa - Dr. Don Newland) bought the property next door to the north after he returned from World War I and then built one of the earliest homes on this lake in 1926. Papa's original rustic log cabin was replaced by the current next door small ranch style home in 1946, right after World War II. My parents honeymooned there in 1947. I visited this lake for the first time in the summer of 1950 two weeks after my birth. I have been here every year since.
I bought this property in 1992. It was the third time that the property had been sold since a small frame home had been built upon it in 1928 by a German bachelor (Herbert Landwehr) master carpenter. Herb retired to this property in the late 1940's. I knew this this rough-hewn gentleman well. I hunted and fished with Herb, my grandfather, and my parents on and around the lake. Herb owned this property and lived here until his death in1964. He left the property to his cousin. The cousin sold four years later. Two additional owners enjoyed the lake and original house until 1992. when, I bought the property. The original was substantially improved and remodeled several times. That sequence of efforts evolved over 20 years into the complete replacement that is this current home in fall 2012 - spring 2013.
My maternal grandfather passed away in 1962. My maternal grandmother passed in 1988. My mother passed in 1991. My father passed in 2011.
The well-kept property to the north remains today in the hands of my two brothers. Between the three of us, we have 9 children all of whom routinely visit and stay at our homes on Horseshoe Lake. My brothers and I have planned for and hope to pass these wonderful living spots along to our nine children.
What makes this property unique
Small lake. Pristine spring fed water. One of the cleanest and clearest lakes in MN. There is no substantial river or creek flowing through the lake. Low boating traffic on the lake as compared to White Fish Chain, Gull Lake, Ten Mile Lake, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, etc. More suitable for families in many ways. More suitable for children venturing out on their own. Better wake boarding and water skiing due to low wave height and quiet boating conditions. Many bays on the lake. Always a calm spot for water sports
Always good fishing. Great bass fishing. Good walleye and northern fishing.
Grand Piano for group music and singing
Modest library of classic novels and literature. Please leave the books when you depart!
Great place to vacation with children and to fish, swim, boat, and participate in recreation with water toys. The lake bottom at the cottage location is sandy with a gentle slope, so there is less likelihood of immediate full immersion other than by falling out of a boat or falling/jumping off of the dock's end. Children, pets, and adults require lifejackets and continuous oversight to ensure their safety in and around the water.
House was all new in 2013. Roomy, relaxing, and naturally lighted open-plan 3 bedroom and two bath cottage. Full laundry. Full living area with connected kitchen, living, and dining spaces. Beautiful bright sunroom seating adjoins kitchen and overlooks the lake/beach immediately in front of the house. Spaces flow comfortably together so no one is left out but there are lots of nooks for quiet reading or work. Thoughtfully designed and functional house with top quality commercial-grade gourmet kitchen. Natural sunlight throughout with plentiful glass for views of the lake as well as surrounding woodlands. Bedrooms have full closets and dressers. Master bedroom with ensuite bathroom. Sleeping loft has areas for children or adult guests.
Spent four years designing and preparing to build this new home
Always good fishing. Great bass fishing. Good walleye and northern fishing.
Grand Piano for group music and singing
Modest library of classic novels and literature. Please leave the books when you depart!
Great place to vacation with children and to fish, swim, boat, and participate in recreation with water toys. The lake bottom at the cottage location is sandy with a gentle slope, so there is less likelihood of immediate full immersion other than by falling out of a boat or falling/jumping off of the dock's end. Children, pets, and adults require lifejackets and continuous oversight to ensure their safety in and around the water.
House was all new in 2013. Roomy, relaxing, and naturally lighted open-plan 3 bedroom and two bath cottage. Full laundry. Full living area with connected kitchen, living, and dining spaces. Beautiful bright sunroom seating adjoins kitchen and overlooks the lake/beach immediately in front of the house. Spaces flow comfortably together so no one is left out but there are lots of nooks for quiet reading or work. Thoughtfully designed and functional house with top quality commercial-grade gourmet kitchen. Natural sunlight throughout with plentiful glass for views of the lake as well as surrounding woodlands. Bedrooms have full closets and dressers. Master bedroom with ensuite bathroom. Sleeping loft has areas for children or adult guests.
Spent four years designing and preparing to build this new home
Languages:
English, Spanish
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